[19/23] SMU (23-4, 13-1 American) at Houston (18-7, 9-4 American)
Date / Tip-off	Sat., Feb. 18 - 5 p.m. CT
Location	Hofheinz Pavilion-- Houston, Texas -- Map
Tickets	Tickets
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Radio	KAAM 770 AM | TuneIn App
Game Notes	SMU | Houston | American
Live Stats	Gametracker
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Twitter	@SMUBasketball | @SMUMustangs
Instagram	@SMUBasketball | @SMU.Mustangs

 

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No. 19/23 SMU (23-4, 13-1) plays at Houston (18-7, 9-4) on Saturday at 5 p.m. The Mustangs have won nine straight and 19 of their last 20 games after an 80-75 win versus Tulane on Wednesday. SMU is 6-1 on the road in American Athletic Conference play. This is the second meeting between the rivals; SMU won 85-64 in Dallas on Jan. 21.
 
SMU held 19 straight opponents to 66 points or less before allowing 75 in the win against Tulane. The Mustangs have a season scoring defense of 58.6 (1st AAC, 3rd NCAA). SMU is also among the national leaders with a rebound margin of +11.0 (1st AAC, 2nd NCAA), a field goal defense of .386 (4th AAC, 8th NCAA) and an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.5 (2nd AAC, 12th NCAA).
 
All five SMU starters average at least 9.6 points. Semi Ojeleye, the reigning AAC Player of the Week, leads SMU (18.2, 3rd AAC) followed by Shake Milton (13.6, 12th AAC), Sterling Brown (12.0, 21st AAC), Ben Moore (11.3, 22nd AAC) and Jarrey Foster (9.6). SMU has had at least four score 10+ in 19 of 27 games. The five starters all scored in double figures in the win against Tulane. Three Mustangs have scored 27 or more points in a league game (Milton 27 vs. Houston 1/21, Brown 27 at Tulsa 2/4, Ojeleye 30 at Temple 2/9), with all five starters going for at least 18 points in a conference game.
 
The Mustangs have outrebounded 24 of 27 opponents and have been at least +10 in 16 games (including 12 of 14 AAC games). Five average 4.0 or more rebounds with Moore (8.2, 4th AAC), Brown (7.1, 11th AAC) and Ojeleye (6.6, 16th AAC) leading SMU. As a team, SMU is first in The American in offensive rebound percentage (.395) and second in defensive rebound percentage (.754).
 
The Mustangs are shooting 46.1 percent from the field (2nd AAC) and 39.4 percent from three (2nd AAC, 25th NCAA). Moore is shooting 56.5% (2nd AAC), with Foster at 50.0% (T-2nd AAC) and Ojeleye at 46.7% (13th AAC).  Ojeleye is third in The American in 3-point percentage at 42.0% and Milton is fourth also at 41.9% while Brown is hitting 40.4%. (Foster is at 42.4%, but doesn't have enough 3FG made to qualify for the AAC ranking). Milton also leads SMU in assists (4.4, 5th AAC) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.4, 4th AAC, 56th NCAA). Brown also ranks among the AAC leaders in assists (3.2, 13th AAC) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.6, 9th AAC). Brown and Milton are also near the top of the league in steals with 1.5 (4th AAC) and 1.3 (12th AAC), respectively.
 
The Mustangs are playing their second week as a ranked team this season at No. 19 in the Associated Press Poll and No. 23 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. SMU had been in the receiving votes list the previous four weeks. This is the fourth straight season SMU has been in the AP Top 25 (2 weeks 2016-17, 17 weeks 2015-16, 9 weeks 2014-15, 4 weeks 2013-14).
 
The Mustangs have won nine straight and 19 of the last 20 after a 4-3 start to the season. The only loss in the last 20 contests was at then-No. 22/22 Cincinnati on Jan. 12 (L, 66-64), which SMU avenged the loss vs. then-[11/11] Cincinnati (W, 60-51) on Feb. 12. SMU has held 19 of the last 20 opponents to 66 points or less (56.3 per game - W, 80-75 vs. Tulane on Feb. 15).

W-L                            4-3          19-1
Scoring Off.                73.1        72.9
Scoring Def.                65.3        56.3
Scoring Margin              7.9          16.7
FG Pct.                      .463        .460
FG Pct. Def.                .412        .377
3Pt.FG Pct.                  .358        .404
3Pt.FG Pct. Def.          .328        .330
Reb. Off.                       40.9        39.2
Reb. Def.                         27.7        28.9
Reb. Margin                   13.1        10.3
 
LAST GAME (W, 80-75 vs. Tulane on Feb. 15): DALLAS (AP) - Semi Ojeleye scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half, including consecutive 3-pointers in a run that finally put No. 19 SMU ahead to stay in an 80-75 victory over Tulane, which led by 15 points at halftime. Three days after a comeback win over then-No. 11 Cincinnati to take over The American lead, and avenging their only loss since November, the Mustangs (23-4, 13-1) had to rally against one of the teams at the bottom of the league standings. The Mustangs have won nine in a row, and 19 of their last 20. But while they have lost only once since November, this is only their second week this season in the AP poll. Jarrey Foster had 19 points, including three consecutive dunks in one stretch for SMU. Shake Milton and Sterling Brown each had 13 points. Cameron Reynolds had 23 points for Tulane (4-21, 1-12), which has a nine-game losing streak. Ojeleye missed his first 10 shots before making a 3-pointer less than 2 minutes into the second half. Even though he finished 4-of-17 shooting overall, he scored the first eight points in the 13-0 run that put SMU ahead to stay. The Mustangs were within 56-55 after Ojeleye's consecutive 3s, and went ahead for the first time when Brown had a steal and a breakaway layup with 9:43 left. Reynolds missed a dunk that would have put Tulane back ahead with 7 minutes left, and Foster followed that with a powerful two-handed dunk. Then came a one-handed slam over a Tulane defender before a putback slam for Foster.
 
UP NEXT: SMU plays at Connecticut on Saturday, Feb. 25 (12pm.ET/11am CT, CBS). The Mustangs close the regular season at home against Tulsa on Thursday, March 2 (7pm CBSSN) and senior day versus Memphis on Saturday, March 4 (3pm, ESPN/2). SMU has clinched a bye in the first round of The American Championship, which is at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut, March 9-12.
 
THE SERIES VS. HOUSTON (31-48+): SMU and Houston meet for the 80th time, with Houston leading the series 48-31. The Mustangs have won six of the last seven regular season meetings over the Cougars, winning the first matchup this season 85-64 in Moody Coliseum on Jan. 21. Last season, the two split the series, with SMU winning the opener, 77-73, on Jan. 19 in Moody Coliseum, before falling 71-68 at Houston on Feb. 1. The teams spent 21 years together in the Southwest Conference (1975-1996) and eight as C-USA opponents (2005-2013) before moving to The American. Houston held a 28-14 advantage in the SWC and a 12-3 margin in C-USA games. Since joining the American Athletic Conference, SMU leads the series 6-1, with its only loss at Houston. SMU and Houston are tied 6-6 in tournament play, with SMU leading 2-1 in NCAA Tournament play. The Mustangs went 4-3 in SWC Tournament play, before Houston managed a 0-1 record in the C-USA Tournament. Since joining the AAC, Houston is 0-1 in The American Tournament. The two met in the last SWC Tournament at Reunion Arena in Dallas with SMU notching a 62-57 win over the Cougars in 1996. The Ponies won NCAA Regional matchups in 1956 and 1965, but lost in 1967. The eighth-ranked Mustangs won 89-76 over 17th-ranked Houston in the 1956 NCAA Tournament. SMU eventually advanced to the 1956 Final Four. (+29-48 officially, wins in 2013-14 later vacated)
 
PREVIOUS MEETING VS. HOUSTON (W, 85-64 at Moody Coliseum on Jan. 21, 2017): DALLAS (AP) -- Shake Milton had a career-high 27 points on 10-of-15 shooting, Semi Ojeleye scored 20 and SMU never trailed in its 85-64 win over Houston. Milton made 6-of-8 from 3-point range and finished with five rebounds and five assists. Ben Emelogu II scored a season-high 13, Sterling Brown added 10 points with eight rebounds and Ben Moore had 10 points, six boards and seven assists. Brown tied a career high with four steals. Milton hit back-to-back 3s during an 18-3 run to close the first half and his 3-point play that put SMU up 42-23 capped the spurt. The Mustangs led by double figures throughout the second half and hit five 3s during another 18-3 spurt that made gave them their biggest lead, 80-53, with five minutes left. Damyean Dotson tied career highs with six 3-pointers and 25 points and Rob Gray scored 16 for Houston. It was the most points allowed in a game this season by the Cougars, who came in allowing their opponents just 63.2 points per game.
 
THE SERIES VS. CONNECTICUT (7-2+): SMU and UConn will meet for the 10th time. SMU won the first game of the 2016-17 series 69-49 in Moody Coliseum on Jan 19, 2017. The two teams split last season's series, with UConn winning the first matchup at Connecticut, 68-62, before SMU rolled to an 80-54 win on senior day to finish its home slate. The first game in the series was an 80-66 Mustang victory in Dallas on Dec. 30, 1965. In 2014-15, the Mustangs won two of three meetings with the Huskies last season, including a 62-54 victory in the championship of the American Athletic Conference Tournament. The other meetings in Dallas were the opening of the renovated Moody Coliseum on Jan. 4, 2014 (W, 74-65 over then #17/15 Connecticut) and ESPN College Gameday on Feb. 14, 2015 (W, 73-55). (+5-2 officially, wins in 2013-14 later vacated)
 
LAST MEETING VS. CONNECTICUT (W, 69-49 at Moody Coliseum on Jan. 19, 2017): DALLAS (AP) -- Shake Milton made five 3-pointers and had 23 points and six assists to lead SMU past UConn 69-49. SMU closed the first half on a 26-5 spurt -- including a 16-0 run -- to take a 36-15 lead at intermission. UConn's last make of the first half was at the 5:35 mark on Christian Vital's 3-pointer. Semi Ojeleye added 17 points for SMU and Ben Moore had 14 points and 13 rebounds. Sterling Brown led the Mustangs with eight assists and they had 22 helpers on 27 made field goals. SMU committed just five turnovers. Vance Jackson led UConn with 17 points and Kentan Facey had 13 points and 10 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. The Huskies shot just 34 percent from the floor and turned it over 16 times.
 
HEAD COACH TIM JANKOVICH... is in his first season at the helm at SMU after four seasons as the associate head coach. He is in his 34th season as a collegiate coach, and his 12th as a head coach. In 2015-16, the Mustangs finished 25-5, finishing the season ranked No. 24 after reaching a high of No. 8. SMU was the last unbeaten team in the country, starting 18-0, winning the Las Vegas Classic title during the season-opening streak. In 2014-15, the Mustangs claimed the American Athletic Conference regular season and tournament championships en route to the NCAA Tournament. SMU was the top seed in the 2014 NIT, reaching the title game. This is his 10th season as the leader of a Division I program, including five as head coach at Illinois State (2007-12) and four at North Texas (1993-97). As a head coach, he is 189-125 (.602) [32-4 at SMU, including 23-0 at Moody Coliseum]. That includes a 104-64 mark at ISU where his teams recorded four top-three finishes in the Missouri Valley, reached the conference tournament final three times and earned four NIT bids. As an assistant or head coach, his teams are 628-375 (.626) with six regular season conference championships, four league tournament titles, nine NCAA Tournament appearances and eight NIT bids.

- 6 Conference Titles (Colorado State - WAC '89, '90; Kansas - Big 12 '05, '06, '07; SMU - AAC '15)
- 4 Conference Tournament Titles (Illinois - Big Ten '03; Kansas - Big 12 '05, '06; SMU - AAC '15)
- 9 NCAAs (CSU '89, '90; Oklahoma State '93; Illinois '03; Kansas '04 RF, '05, '06, '07 RF; SMU '15)
- 8 NITs (CSU '88, Vanderbilt '00, '02; Illinois State '08, '09, '10, '12; SMU '14 Final)
 
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE WINS: SMU leads The American in league wins (41-9) since the start of the 2014-15 season. SMU went 15-3 to win the 2014-15 regular season (also won the tournament) then 13-5 in 2015-16 to finish in second, one game behind Temple.        

Through Feb. 15               W            L              PCT       
SMU                              41           9              .820
Cincinnati                        37           12           .755
Tulsa                              32           17           .653
Temple                             32           18           .640
Connecticut                        28           20           .583
Memphis                             26           23           .531
Houston                              25           24           .510
UCF                                    18           32           .360
East Carolina                         14           35           .286
Tulane                                  10           39           .204
USF                                        8              42           .160
 
Best MBB D-I Record During UConn WBB 100-Game Win Streak (Nov. 23, 2014 to Feb. 13, 2017)
Courtesy ESPN
Team     W-L        Win%
1. Villanova         90-10     .900
2. Gonzaga          85-11     .885
3. Kentucky        81-15     .884
4. SMU             72-14     .837
 
ATTENDANCE: SMU has surpassed 100,000 in attendance four straight seasons. In 2014-15, SMU set a season attendance record of 124,986 total and 6,944 average. The New Moody single-game attendance record of 7,518 was set in the 60-51 win against then No. 11/11 Cincinnati (Feb. 12, 2017). The previous. SMU has sold out 47 of 64 games in Moody Coliseum since the renovated facility opened Jan. 4, 2014.    

Total                      Season  
124,986                 2014-15 AAC Champs (15 sellouts in 18 games)
117,420                 2015-16 (13 sellouts in 17 games)
109,775                 2016-17 (10 sellouts in 16 games)
107,412                 2013-14 (9 sellouts in 19 games - 13 games in Moody Coliseum)
101,296                 1984-85
 
SMU - Single-Game Attendance Records In Moody Coliseum (since renovation before 2013-14 season)
7,518     [11/11] Cincinnati, 2-9-2017 (W, 60-51)
7,395     Connecticut, 2-14-2015 (W, 73-55)
7,314     Tulsa, 3-8-2015 (W, 67-62) Win AAC
7,305     [11/9] Louisville, 3-5-2014 (L, 84-71)
7,303     Connecticut, 3-3-2016 (W, 80-54)
7,278     [7/7] Cincinnati, 2-8-2014 (W^, 76-55)
7,249     Gonzaga, 2-13-2016 (W, 69-60)
7,245     Michigan, 12-8-2015 (W, 82-58)
7,205     Memphis, 1-30-2016 (W, 80-68)
 
2016-17 SEASON-TICKET RECORD: On the heels of a three straight record-breaking seasons for SMU Men's Basketball attendance, another record has been set on the Hilltop with more than 5,100 season tickets sold for the games at Moody Coliseum.
 
AWARDS - THE AMERICAN WEEKLY AWARDS: Semi Ojeleye was named the American Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week on Nov. 14 and Feb. 13, and has been named to the Weekly Honor Roll five times (Nov. 21, Dec. 12, Dec. 26, Jan. 2, Jan. 9). Sterling Brown was selected as The American Player of the Week on Feb. 6 and to the Weekly Honor Roll on Jan. 2. Shake Milton has been named to the Weekly Honor Roll twice (Jan. 23, Jan. 30) and Ben Moore once (Dec. 5).
 
AWARDS - CoSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT: Semi Ojeleye was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 7 Men's Basketball Team. The award recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. The junior holds a 3.65 GPA in psychology, while ranking among the top in the American Athletic Conference in points, rebounds, field goal percentage and three point percentage.
 
AWARDS - JERRY WEST SHOOTING GUARD OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST: Sophomore Shake Milton was one of 20 candidates named to the 2017 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award watch list, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Oct. 18. The annual honor recognizes the top shooting guards in Division I men's college basketball. As a freshman, Milton was a unanimous AAC All-Rookie selection after ranking third in the league for 3-point percentage (42.6, 52-122), 13th in field goal percentage (47.7) and 28th in scoring (10.5). He also averaged 2.7 assists (13th AAC) and 3.0 rebounds with a 1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio as he helped the Mustangs to a 25-5 season. This summer, he was a shooting guard at the 2016 Nike Hoops Summit in Los Angeles and went to Croatia with a Global Sports Academy U.S. Team.
 
AWARDS - PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE: Senior Ben Moore was named to the preseason All-AAC first team, while sophomore Shake Milton was named to the second team. The Mustangs, who finished second last season after winning the conference in 2014-15, were picked behind Cincinnati and Connecticut, respectively.
 
AWARDS - ALLSTATE NABC GOOD WORKS TEAM NOMINEE: Jonathan Wilfong is a nominee for the 2017 Allstate National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Good Works Team, a distinguished award that highlights student-athletes who have shown dedication to community service and altruism in their communities. The senior is a co-founder of Coaching for Literacy (coachingforliteracy.org), an organization that helps fund literacy programs focused on helping elementary and middle school students. The mission of Coaching for Literacy is to increase awareness about the number of people in America who are functionally or totally illiterate and the social problems associated with illiteracy. By partnering with sports teams from across the country for a unique game-day experience, Coaching for Literacy raises money to supports effective local literacy programs and schools focused on educating elementary and middle school students. This is the second straight season SMU has a nominee after Semi Ojeleye was on the 2015-16 award list.
 
1000 AND A LOT MOORE: Senior Ben Moore has 1121 career points (30th at SMU), and became the 39th person in program history to 1,000 points (on a dunk vs. Temple 1/4/17). He also has 729 rebounds (11th at SMU), 118 blocked shots (8th at SMU), 224 assists and 95 steals. He is just the fifth Mustang to have at least 1000 points, 600 rebounds and 100 blocked shots. He is the first to also record at least 200 assists and ranks second in that group for steals.

                                                Points   Rebs      Blocks   Assists  Steals   
Jon Koncak, 1981-85                   1784       1169       278         173         74          
Ira Terrell, 1972-76                       1715       1077       169         141         N/A       
Papa Dia, 2007-11                         1437       911         143         133         91          
Patrick Simpson, 2001-05              1271       759         151         122         69          
Ben Moore, 2013-                        1121       729         118         224         95
 
2017-18 BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS: SMU will play in the 2017 Battle 4 Atlantis in Nassau, Bahamas. The event is Nov. 22-24 with Villanova, Tennessee, Arizona, Purdue, Western Kentucky, N.C. State & Northern Iowa.
 
2ND TO NONE: Seniors Sterling Brown and Ben Moore, both Chicago area natives (Brown is from Maywood and Moore is from Bolingbrook), are the all-time leaders in wins for SMU basketball. They are also among the leaders in several other career categories.
SMU CAREER WINS (in games played)
                1.            ^ 102     Sterling Brown, 2013-17
                2.            ^" 101   Ben Moore, 2013-17
                3.            85           Butch Moore, 1982-86
                4.            ^ 81        Cannen Cunningham, 2011-15
                5.            ^ 81        Ryan Manuel, 2011-15
                6.            80           Scott Johnson, 1983-87
                7.            79           Terry Williams, 1983-87
                8.            ^ 78        Nic Moore, 2013-16
                9.            73           Jon Koncak, 1981-85
                10.          72           Larry Davis, 1981-85
^ wins from 2013-14 later vacated
" Ben Moore missed the win vs. Brown 11/29/15
 
SMU CAREER STATS & RANKS
                Brown                   Moore
Games  128         3rd         127         4th
Starts    98           T-9th     85           T-17th
Points   965                         1121       30th
Rebounds           617         22nd      729         11th
Assists  276         T-17th   224
Blocks   48                           118         8th
Steals    130         T-11th   95
FG%       .499        T-15th   .538        7th
3FG%    .433        3rd         0-2
3FGs      107         T-13th   N/A
 
SMU CAREER GAMES PLAYED
                1              134         Cannen Cunnningham, 2011-15
                                134         Ryan Manuel, 2011-15
                3              128         Sterling Brown, 2013-17 (32nd in NCAA D-I among active student-athletes)
                4              127         Ben Moore, 2013-17 (46th in NCAA D-I among active student-athletes)
                5              125         Butch Moore, 1982-86
 
3 TIMES THE CHARM: SMU has two of the program's best career 3-point shooters by percentage in Sterling Brown, Shake Milton and Semi Ojeleye. Milton and Brown are both in the top 15 for threes made.
SMU Career 3FG Pct. - (min. 50 made)
                1              47.3        Eric Longino (62-131), 1987-89
                2              43.4        Robert Nyakundi (267-615), 2008-12
                3              43.3        Sterling Brown (107-247), 2013- (14th in NCAA D-I among active student-athletes)
                4              42.2        Shake Milton (114-270), 2015- (30th in NCAA D-I among active student-athletes)
                5              42.2        Todd Alexander (92-218), 1987-89
                6              42.1        Nic Moore (225-534), 2013-16
                7              42.0        Semi Ojeleye (Jr.), 2016-17 (55-130)
                8              41.1        Troy Dorner (51-124), 1991-94
                9              40.0        Carlton McKinney (64-160), 1986-88
 
SMU Best Season 3FG Pct (Since 1986-87) Minimum 20 Made
                1              53.6        Sterling Brown (Jr.), 2015-16 (30-56)
               2              53.2        Eric Longino (Sr.), 1988-89 (50-94)
                3              49.7        Robert Nyakundi (Jr.), 2010-11 (97-195)
                4              47.6        Troy Dorner (Sr.), 1993-94 (39-82)
                5              47.5        Scott Johnson (Sr.), 1986-87 (44-99)
                6              45.7        Lavardicus Atkins (Fr.), 2000-01 (21-46)
                7              45.3        Todd Alexander (Jr.), 1987-88 (82-181)
                                45.3        Ike Ofoegbu (Sr.), 2006-07 (29-64)
                9              44.4        Sterling Brown (So.), 2014-15 (20-45)
                10           43.6        Nic Moore (So.), 2013-14 (72-165)
                11           42.6        Shake Milton (Fr.), 2015-16 (52-122)
                12           42.4        Jarrey Foster (So.), 2016-17 (25-59)
                13           42.0        Semi Ojeleye (Jr.), 2016-17 (58-138)
                14           41.9        Shake Milton (So.), 2016-17 (62-148)
                ---
                T-23       40.4        Sterling Brown (Sr.), 2016-17 (40-99)
 
SMU Career 3FG Made
                1              273         Stephen Woods, 1996-00
                2              267         Robert Nyakundi, 2008-12
                3              256         Bryan Hopkins, 2002-06
                4              225         Nic Moore, 2013-16
                5              220         Troy Matthews, 1993-97
                6              170         Quinton Ross, 1999-03
                7              161         Chad Allen, 1990-94
                8              133         Jeryl Sasser, 1997-01
                9              131         Mike Walker, 2007-11
                10           121         Jemeil Rich, 1994-97
                11           119         Jon Killen, 2004-08
                12           114         Shake Milton, 2015-
                13           107         Damon Hancock, 1998-02
                                107         Sterling Brown, 2013-
 
21 - RPI: The Mustangs are No. 21 in the RPI (through Feb. 15) with a 8-4 mark against the top 100 (Kenpom 16, AP Poll 19, ESPN BPI 21, Sagarin 24, USA Today Coaches Poll 23).
RPI         Opponent                       Result
16           at [22/22] Cincinnati        L, 66-64 on Jan. 12
16           [11/11] Cincinnati             W, 60-51 on Feb. 12
33           at USC                           L, 78-73 on Nov. 25
49           TCU                            W, 74-59 on Dec. 7
56           Houston                           W, 85-64 on Jan. 21
58           vs. Michigan                   L, 76-54 on Nov. 18 (2K Classic championship at Madison Square Garden)
60           vs. Pittsburgh                   W, 76-67 on Nov. 17 (2K Classic semifinal at Madison Square Garden)
67           at Boise State                L, 71-62 on Nov. 30
75           Stanford                          W, 72-49 on Dec. 19
88           Temple                             W, 79-65 on Jan. 4
88           at Temple                        W, 66-50 on Feb. 9
95           CSU Bakersfield                W, 49-43 on Dec. 2

 
60-50-85: As a junior in 2015-16, Sterling Brown shot 60.2% from the field (109-181, 2nd AAC), 53.6% from 3-point range (30-56, 1st AAC, SMU Record) and 85.7% on free throws (54-63). He is believed to be the first in NCAA Division I to accomplish the 60-50-80 marks for a season. (The 3-point line was instituted in 1986-87.)
 
BALANCED SCORING: SMU has had four score in double figures in 19 of 27 games this season with five in double figures five times (Eastern Michigan, McNeese, at East Carolina, Houston, Tulane). The Mustangs almost have five averaging double figures. Semi Ojeleye leads SMU at 18.2 (3rd AAC) followed by Shake Milton at 13.6 (12th AAC), Sterling Brown at 12.0 (21st AAC), Ben Moore 11.3 (22nd AAC) and Jarrey Foster at 9.6. In 2015-16, SMU had 4 players with 10+ points in 23 of 30 games, including 6 in double figures in the win against Hampton and 5 in double figures six times.
YEARS WITH FIVE AVERAGING DOUBLE-FIGURE POINTS (2015-16 was the first time since 1975-76)
2016-17 Semi Ojeleye 18.2, Shake Milton 13.6, Sterling Brown 12.0, Ben Moore 11.3 (Jarrey Foster 9.6)
2015-16                Nic Moore 16.1, Ben Moore 11.9, Jordan Tolbert 11.6, Shake Milton 10.5, Sterling Brown 10.1
                Moore (All-America HM, AAC Player of the Year, All-AAC 1st Team); Milton (AAC All-Rookie Team)
1975-76 Ira Terrell 22.6, Michael Jaccar 11.9, Joe Swedlund 11.1, Peter Lodwick 10.5, Bob Arnold 10.5
                Terrell (All-America HM), SWC Player of the Year, All-SWC 1st Team); Jaccar (All-SWC 2nd Team)
1974-75 Russell Bourquein 13.3, Jeff Swanson 11.2, John Sagehorn 11.0, Joe Swedlund 10.7, Bob Arnold 10.1
1971-72 Ruben Triplett 18.2, Larry Delzell 12.3, Bobby Rollings 11.3, David Miller 10.7, Zachary Theil 10.0
                Triplett (All-SWC 1st Team); SWC Champs
1966-67 Denny Holman 16.5, Charles Beasley 15.0, Lynn Phillips 14.1, Bob Begert 13.2, Bill Voight 11.3
                Holman (SWC Player of the Year), Holman & Beasley (All-SWC 1st Team)
                SWC Champs, NCAA 2nd Rnd
1955-56 Jim Krebs 19.1, Bobby Mills 13.0, Joel Krog 12.0, Larry Showalter 11.0, Ron Morris 10.2
                Krebs (All-America 2nd Team); Krebs, Mills & Showalter (All-SWC 1st Team)
                SWC Champs, NCAA Final Four
 
BEST WIN STREAKS/START(S) IN PROGRAM HISTORY: SMU's 10-game winning streak tied for third in program history. In 2015-16, SMU started 18-0, which was the best in program history, surpassing the 10-0 start by the 1997-98 team (Tim Jankovich directed the first nine games of the 18-game streak). The 18-game winning streak was the second-longest in program history (20 during 1955-56). The 7-0 start in American Athletic Conference play was the best league start since going 12-0 en route to the 1955-56 SWC title.
 
WINNING STREAKS - LONGEST IN SMU HISTORY:
Wins      Start Date            End Date
20           at Wichita State; W, 85-67 (Dec. 22, 1955)              vs #1 San Francisco (Final Four), L 86-68 (March 2, 1956)
18           Sam Houston State; W, 85-50 (Nov. 14, 2015)      at Temple; L, 89-80 (Jan. 24, 2016)
10           Texas Tech; W, 89-82 (Nov. 22, 1997)                  at UTEP; L, 66-64 (Jan. 3, 1998)
10           at Arkansas; W, 75-74 (Feb. 2, 1966)                     #2 Kansas (NCAA Regional); L, 96-90 (March 11, 1966)
10           CSU Bakersfield; W, 49-43 (Dec. 2, 2016)              at 22/22 Cincinnati; L, 66-64 (Jan. 12, 2017)
9              Texas Southern; W, 91-72 (Nov. 23, 1984)             at Chaminade; L, 71-70 (Dec. 25, 1984)
9              Eastern Kentucky; W, 66-45 (Dec. 6, 1947)            Baylor; L, 43-42 (Jan. 10, 1948)
9 +          at Tulane, W, 80-64 (Jan. 15, 2017)
 
CLASSROOM RECORDS: SMU's football, men's basketball and women's basketball programs had a record-setting fall semester in the classroom. The football and women's basketball teams set program-best cumulative grade-point-averages while men's basketball reached its highest cumulative GPA since 2004. It was the second-straight outstanding semester for all three programs. Football had a new program high in the spring of 2016. Spring of 2016 also saw women's basketball record its best spring since 2005 and men's basketball post its best mark since 2011. The programs combined for 35 American Athletic Conference All-Academic Honors in 2016. Football had 29 representatives while men's and women's basketball had three apiece.
 
CRASHING THE GLASS: SMU has a +11.0 rebound margin this season (1st AAC, 2nd NCAA), outrebounding 24 of 27 opponents. SMU has led The American in rebound margin for three straight seasons. In 2015-16, SMU outrebounded 24 of 30 opponents and had a +10.2 margin (1st AAC, 4th NCAA). The Mustangs were at least +10 in 16 games. In the 4-game stretch from 12/5 to 12/17, SMU was at least +25 in each game (+113 total, +28.3 average). SMU was +25 vs. New Hampshire, +25 vs. Michigan, +37 vs. Nicholls, +26 vs. Hampton. SMU has outrebounded 122 of 160 since the start of 2012-13.
Season   Reb. Margin       Conf.-NCAA       Outrebound Opp.
2012-13         +2.6               5th - 102nd         21 of 32 (+10 in 4 games)
2013-14         +4.8               1st - 36th             25 of 37 (+10 in 11 games)
2014-15         +6.7               1st - 17th             28 of 34 (+10 in 10 games)
2015-16         +10.2             1st - 4th                24 of 30 (+10 in 16 games)
2016-17         +11.0             1st - 2nd               24 of 27 (+10 in 16 games)
 
SMU Season Rebound Margin (The previous 3 seasons are all in the top 6 in program history.)
---           11.0        2016-17
1.            10.2 (39.4-29.3) 2015-16
2.            8.4 (37.2-28.8)   1988-89
3.            6.7 (36.6-29.9)   2014-15
4.            5.7 (48.5-42.8)   1959-60
5.            5.0 (46.5-41.5)   1958-59
6.            4.8 (36.0-31.3)   2013-14
7.            4.6 (38.1-33.5)   1984-85
8.            4.3 (43.3-39.0)   1999-00
 
CRASHING THE GLASS - BALANCED REBOUNDING: SMU has 5 different players averaging 4.0 rebounds per game or better. Ben Moore leads SMU at 8.2 (4th AAC) followed by Sterling Brown at 7.1 (11th AAC), Semi Ojeleye at 6.6 (16th AAC), Jarrey Foster at 5.3 and Shake Milton at 4.1.
 
DEFENSE - FG%: SMU has held opponents to 38.6% this season (4th AAC, 8th NCAA). In 2015-16, SMU held opponents to 40.0% from the floor (3rd AAC, 28th NCAA). In the past four seasons, SMU has held 88 of 160 opponents at or below 40%.
Season         FG% Def.  Conf.-NCAA          Opponents Under 40%
2012-13         .395            1st - 39th             16 of 32
2013-14         .385            1st - 7th                24 of 37
2014-15         .381            1st - 5th                20 of 34
2015-16         .400            3rd - 28th             13 of 30
2016-17 .        386            4th - 8th               15 of 27
 
DEFENSE - SCORING: SMU has held opponents to 58.6 points per game (1st AAC, 3rd NCAA).
Season         Scoring Def.        Conf.-NCAA          Opp. Under 70  Opp. Under 60 
2013-14                 62.2                    3rd - 24th             30 of 37             17 of 37
2014-15                 59.8                    2nd - 20th            28 of 34              20 of 34
2015-16                 63.4                    2nd - 13th            22 of 30             11 of 30
2016-17                 58.6                    1st - 3rd                23 of 27             14 of 27
 
DEFENSE - SCORING MARGIN: SMU has a scoring margin of 14.4 (2nd AAC, 12th NCAA).
Season         Margin  Conf.-NCAA          Games +10         Games +20
2013-14         8.8          3rd - 38th             17 of 37                 7 of 37
2014-15         9.4          1st - 23rd             16 of 34                 5 of 34
2015-16         13.9        1st - 4th                17 of 30                 9 of 30
2016-17         14.4        2nd - 12th            17 of 27                 10 of 27
 
FG%: SMU is shooting 46.1% this season (2nd AAC). SMU has led The American in field goal percentage for three straight seasons. In 2015-16, SMU led The American at 49.7% from the field (4th NCAA), shooting better than 25 of 30 opponents. The Mustangs have outshot 122 of 160 opponents since the start of 2012-13.
Season         FG%       Conf.-NCAA       Higher % Than Opp.
2012-13         .449        7th - 89th             18 of 32
2013-14         .483        1st - 18th             28 of 37
2014-15         .475        1st - 26th             29 of 34
2015-16         .497        1st - 4th                25 of 30 
2016-17         .461        2nd - 94th            22 of 27
 
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE FOR THE MUSTANGS (Current Roster): In the past few seasons, several Mustangs have played in international events or gone on international tours. Additionally, 2-time All-American Nic Moore helped Team USA win the gold medal at the 2015 World University Games in South Korea. 
2016: Global Sports Academy Goodwill Tour U.S. Team (Croatia): Jarrey Foster, Shake Milton, Semi Ojeleye;
East Coast USA (Italy): Dashawn McDowell 
2015: Global Sports Academy Goodwill Tour U.S. Team (Belgium, England, Germany, Netherlands): Ben Moore, Sterling Brown, Semi Ojeleye and Ben Emelogu II 
2014: Global Sports Academy Goodwill Tour U.S. Team (Belgium, England, Germany, Netherlands): Ben Moore, Sterling Brown
 
NLI - JANKOVICH ANNOUNCES FOUR SIGNEES: Ethan Chargois, William Douglas, Elijah Landrum and Everett Ray have signed National Letters of Intent to play for the Mustangs beginning with the 2017-18 season. Chargois (F, 6-7, 235) and Landrum (G, 6-0, 180) are from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Landrum is ranked as high as No. 2 in Oklahoma after averaging 27.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.9 steals, 2.6 assists and 1.5 steals as a junior at Central High School. Chargois is ranked as high as No. 4 in Oklahoma after averaging 15 points and eight rebounds in 2015-16 for Union High School. Douglas (G, 6-4, 175) is from Memphis where he is ranked as high as No. 2 in Tennessee after averaging 14.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.5 steals last season at Christian Brothers High School. Ray (F, 6-7, 220) is from Addison, Texas, where he paced CHANT Home School with averages of 22 points, 14 rebounds and six assists in 2015-16.
 
NON-CONFERENCE UNDER JANKOVICH: SMU is 19-3 in non-conference games under Jankovich. SMU was 12-0 in non-conference play last season, including winning the 2015-16 Las Vegas Classic. The Mustangs have lost just eight non-conference regular season contests since the start of the 2013-14 season, only one of those losses was at home (then No. 25 Arkansas 78-72 on 11/24/14).
NON-CONFERENCE REGULAR SEASON HOME WINNING STREAKS:
Wins      Streak Started                                                       Streak Ended
39           Colorado State; W, 63-62  (Dec. 17, 1952)                  Oklahoma; L, 96-83 (Dec. 4, 1962)
30           Central Michigan; W, 89-78 (Dec. 17, 1982)                 [4] North Carolina; L, 88-86 (OT) (Dec. 30, 1986) 
23+         Texas Southern; W, 72-59 (Nov. 26, 2014) (includes Gonzaga, Michigan, TCU, Wyoming, Yale)
16           Texas-Pan American; W, 86-75 (Jan. 2, 1999)               Texas Tech; L, 78-75 (Nov. 20, 2001) 
16           McMurry; W, 84-42 (Dec. 16, 1995)                              Alcorn State; L, 75-74 (Dec. 5, 1998)
 
PAINT IS KEY: SMU has a +8.4 advantage in the paint through 27 games (28.4 to 20.0). In 2015-16, SMU outscored 24 of 30 opponents (22-2) in the paint last season, averaging 37.2 to 23.7.  The Ponies have outscored 131 of 160 opponents in the paint since the start of 2012-13.
Season         Outscored Opponents In The Paint (SMU to Opp.)
2012-13         23 of 32 (28.6 to 19.6)
2013-14         31 of 37 (33.4 to 21.8) 
2014-15         31 of 34 (31.5 to 19.2)
2015-16         24 of 30 (37.2 to 23.7) 
2016-17         22 of 27 (28.4 to 20.0)
 
RALLY: The Mustangs rallied from 15 points down at halftime (42-27) to win 80-75 versus Tulane on Feb. 15. That ties for the seventh-largest comeback in program history. It was the biggest comeback in the five seasons Tim Jankovich has been at SMU. The Mustangs trailed then-No. 11/11 Cincinnati 40-31 before winning 60-51 at Moody on Feb. 12. The nine-point comeback is the second-largest this season.
 
ROAD WARRIORS: The Mustangs are 22-11 on the road since the start of the 2014-15 season with a 27-13 mark away from Moody Coliseum (5-2 neutral site). SMU is 18-7 in AAC road games in that stretch (7-2 in 2014-15; 5-4 in 2015-16; 6-1 in 2016-17). SMU was 7-4 on the road in 2015-16 after going 9-4 on the road in 2014-15. The nine road wins rank second in school history (10 in 1955-56). The Mustangs won seven straight road games, which was the longest streak since a program-record eight in 1955-56. The 2014-15 streak was all in AAC play, the most consecutive league road victories since seven straight from 1983-84 to 1984-85 (record 10 from 1954-55 to 1956-57). At 7-2 in The American, SMU finished with its most conference road wins in a season (previous record was 6 in 1955-56, 1966-67, 1983-84.)
SMU - Best Road Start:
5-0 in 1934-35 & 2015-16
4-0 in 1927-28
SMU - Most Road Wins In A Season:
10 in 1955-56
9 in 2014-15
8 in 1961-62, 1983-84
7 in 1966-67, 1987-88, 1992-93, 1999-00, 2015-16
SMU - Most Consecutive Road Wins:
8 in 1955-56
7 in 2014-15
6 in 1966-67 & 2014-15 (last 1) to 2015-16 (first 5)
SMU - Most Conference Road Wins In A Season:
7 in 2014-15 (7-2)
6 in 1955-56 (6-0), 1966-67 (6-1), 1983-84 (6-2), 2015-16 (6-1)
SMU - Most Consecutive Conference Road Wins:
10 in a span from 1954-55 to 1956-57 (1954-55: won last 2; 1955-56: won all 6; 1956-57: won first 2)
7 in a span from 1983-84 to 1984-85 (1983-84: won last 4; 1984-85: won first 3), 2014-15
 
TOP 25: SMU is No. 19 in the AP Poll and No. 23 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. SMU is in the AP top 25 for the second straight week (after 4 weeks of receiving votes) and its first week in the coaches poll (after five straight weeks receiving votes). The Mustangs also received votes in the first two weeks of the season. In 2015-16, SMU finished 24th in the AP Poll, its 17th straight poll in the top 25. That is the third-longest streak at SMU and the second-highest total in a season for the Mustangs. It was the third straight season SMU has been ranked in the top 25. In 2014-15, SMU was in the top 25 for nine weeks including the final seven regular season polls. SMU finished No. 18 in the AP and receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches poll. The Mustangs spent four weeks in the Top 25 in 2013-14. That was the first time SMU had been ranked since the 1984-85 season, when the Mustangs were as high as No. 2.
 
TROPHY CASE: Since the start of the 2013-14 season, the Mustangs have added four items to the trophy case, most recently the 2015-16 Las Vegas Classic (12/16-12/23). In 2014-15, SMU won American Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles. In 2013-14, SMU was the runner-up in the NIT.
 
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS:
- Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year
                Shake Milton (1 of 20 on Watch List - Oct. 18)
- Preseason All-American Athletic Conference
                Ben Moore (First Team - Oct. 24)
                Shake Milton (Second Team - Oct. 24)
- American Athletic Conference Player of the Week
                Semi Ojeleye - Nov. 14 (22.0 pts, 11.0 rebs, 13-23 FG, 4-8 3FG, 14-17 FT in 2-0 week)
                Sterling Brown - Feb. 6 (21.0 pts, 7.0 rebs, 3.0 asts, 2.0 stls, 14-24 FG, 5-11 3FG, 9-9 FT in 2-0 week)
                Semi Ojeleye - Feb. 13 (24.0 pts, 7.0 rebs, 2.5 asts, 1.0 blk, wins at Temple & vs. 11/11 Cincinnati)
- American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll
                Semi Ojeleye - Nov. 21 (18.5 pts, 7.0 rebs, 1.0 ast, 1.0 blk, 14-33 FG, 4-10 3FG, 1-1 week)
                Ben Moore - Dec. 5 (13.3 pts, 12.3 rebs, 2.3 blks, 1.7 asts, 15-27 FG, 2 dbl-dbls, 2-1 week)
                Semi Ojeleye - Dec. 12 (23 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks in win vs. TCU)
                Semi Ojeleye - Dec. 26 (20.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists in wins vs. Stanford & Albany)
                Semi Ojeleye - Jan. 2 (14.0 points, 10.0 rebounds in wins at Memphis & ECU)
                Sterling Brown - Jan. 2 (13.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists in wins at Memphis & ECU)
                Semi Ojeleye - Jan. 9 (20.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists in wins vs. Temple & USF)
                Shake Milton - Jan. 23 (25.0 pts, 5.0 rebs, 5.5 asts, FG 18-31, 3FG 11-17 vs. UConn & Houston)
                Shake Milton - Jan. 30 (19 pts, 6 rebs, 4 asts, 3 stls, 0 TOs in win at UCF)
- 2K Classic Benefiting Wounded Warrior Project All-Tournament Team
                Semi Ojeleye - Nov. 18 (20.3 pts, 9.0 rebs, 48.2% FG, 44.4% 8-18 3FG, 19-25 FT, SMU 3-1)
- CoSIDA Academic All-District
                Semi Ojeleye - Feb. 9 (3.65 GPA in Psychology)
- Allstate NABC Good Works Team Nominee
                Jonathan Wilfong - Nov. 30
  
STERLING BROWN (6-6, 230, G, Sr.): 2016-17: Averaging 12.0 points (21st AAC), 7.1 rebounds (11th AAC), 3.2 assists (13th AAC), 1.5 Assist/Turnover Ratio (9th AAC) and 1.5 steals (4th AAC)… FG% 43.2, 3FG% 40.4, FT% 77.5 (11th AAC)... 5 double-doubles…965 career points… GAME HIGHLIGHTS: Double-digit scoring performances in 20-of-27 games (13 of last 17)… Scored a career high 27 points (9-15 FG, 4-7 3FG, 5-5 FT), with 5 rebounds and an assist, block and steal at Tulsa (Feb. 4)… Posted 20 points (8-12 FG, 4-6 3FG), with 3 steals at Cincinnati (Jan. 12)… Scored19 points (7-12 FG), including a career-high 5 3FG made (5-9) against USF (Jan. 7)… Career high 8 assists against Connecticut (Jan. 19)… Tallied a career-high 13 rebounds against Delaware State on Dec. 4… AWARDS: Named the AAC Player of the Week (Feb. 6)…Named to AAC Honor Roll (Jan. 2).
 
BEN EMELOGU II (6-6, 215, G, Jr.): 2016-17: Averaging 4.6 points and 2.7 rebounds… Has three starts, including at UCF (Jan. 25)… GAME HIGHLIGHTS: Recorded a season high 13 points (5-6 FG, 3-4 3FG), with 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal against Houston (Jan. 21)… Scored 11 points - 9 in the second half - against Cincinnati (Feb. 12)… Posted 11 points against USF (Jan. 7)… Scored 7 points with 3 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 assists at Tulane (Jan. 17)… Had a season-high 6 assists against McNeese (Dec. 14)… Recorded a season high 7 rebounds against Pittsburgh (Nov. 17)… 2015-16: Missed season due to injury.
 
JARREY FOSTER (6-6, 220, G, So.): 2016-17: Averaging 9.6 points and 5.3 rebounds… FG% 50.0 (T6th AAC), 3FG% 42.4… 1 double-double… GAME HIGHLIGHTS: 11 double-digit scoring performances this season… Scored a career-high 19 twice… Posted 19 points with three rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals against Tulane (Feb. 15)… Had 19 with 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks and 1 steal at Tulane (Jan. 17)… Recorded 17 points and a season-high 12 rebounds for his first career double-double against USF (Jan. 7)… Had a career high 3 blocks against East Carolina (Dec. 31)… Career high 7 assists against UC Santa Barbara (Nov. 22).
 
LEO KONTOPOULOS (6-9, 210, F, Fr.): Played in 15 games… Has 8 points on the season in 21 minutes of play… 2015-16: Spent the season with the Iraklis Thessaloniki B.C. in Thessaloniki, Greece… Saw action in eight games.
 
DASHAWN MCDOWELL (6-5, 185, G, Fr.): 2016-17: GAME HIGHLIGHTS: Played in 24 games… Scored a career-high 7 points (2-5 FG, 3-4 FT) against McNeese (Dec. 14)… Scored 5 points, with a rebound and assist against East Carolina (Feb. 1)… Recorded 3 rebounds in 6 minutes against East Carolina… Scored 4 points, with a block against Stanford (Dec. 19)… Tallied 4 rebounds twice (Eastern Michigan, Nov. 13; UCSB, Nov. 22)… 2016 SUMMER: Played for USA East Coast on a basketball tour in Italy…The team went 3-1 on the trip.
 
SHAKE MILTON (6-6, 205, G, So.): 2016-17: Averaging 13.6 points (12th AAC), 4.4 assists (5th AAC) and 1.3 steals (12th AAC)…FG% 43.5, 3FG% 41.9 (4th AAC), FT 80.5 (6th AAC)… 2.4 Assist/Turnover ratio (4th AAC)… GAME HIGHLIGTS: 22 double-digit scoring performances this season (16 of last 18 games)… First time in career with back-to-back 20+ point performances, with a career-high 27 points (10-15 FG, 6-8 3FG, 1-1 FT) against Houston (Jan. 21) and 23 points against Connecticut (Jan. 19)… Career-high 9 rebounds at Tulane (Jan. 17)… Recorded a career-high 9 assists against Stanford (Dec. 19)… Has tallied 5+ assists in 12 games, with at least 3 in 25-of-27 games this season… AWARDS: Named to the 2017 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award watch list… AAC preseason all-conference second team… AAC Weekly Honor Roll twice (Jan. 23, Jan. 30)
 
BEN MOORE (6-8, 220, F, Sr.): 2016-17: Averaging 11.3 points (22nd AAC), 8.2 rebounds (4th AAC) and 1.1 blocked shots (11th AAC)… FG% 56.5 (2nd AAC), FT% 64.6… 7double-doubles…Has 1,121 career points… GAME HIGHLIGHTS: Has double-digit points in 19-of-27 games… 5+ rebounds in 24-of-27 games…Scored 18 points (including his 1,000th career point), with 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 assists and 1 steal against Temple (Jan. 4)… Scored a season-high 19 points at Boise State (Nov. 30)... Scored 15 points with 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block against Tulane (Feb. 15)… Scored 14 at UCF, with 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals… Posted 14 points with 13 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks and 2 assists against Connecticut (Jan. 19)… AWARDS: AAC preseason all-conference first team… Named to AAC Honor Roll (Dec. 5).
 
SEMI OJELEYE (6-7, 235, F, Jr.): 2016-17: Averaging 18.2 (3rd AAC) and 6.6 rebounds (16th AAC)… FG% 46.7 (13th AAC), 3FG% 42.0 (3rd AAC), FT% 77.1 (14th AAC)… 4 double-doubles… GAME HIGHLIGHTS: Has scored 10+ points in 26-of-27 games (19 straight games), with 20+ in 9… Set a career-high 30 points (8-16 FG, 4-8 3FG, 10-11 FT), with 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block and 1 steal at Temple (Feb. 9)… Scored 28 points (9-15 FG, 4-6 3FG, 6-9 FT) against Albany (Dec. 20)… Scored 21 points twice (at Tulane (Jan. 17), USF (Jan. 7)… Posted 20 points, 6 rebounds and career highs in assists (4) and steals (3) against Houston (Jan. 21)… Recorded a career-high 14 rebounds against Gardner-Webb (Nov. 11)… AWARDS: Named the AAC Player of the Week on Nov. 14 and Feb. 13… Named to CoSIDA All-District 7 Team (Feb. 9)… Was named to the 2K Classic All-Tournament Team… Named to AAC Honor Roll five times (Nov. 21, Dec. 12, Dec. 26, Jan. 2, Jan. 7).
 
JAMES PYLE (6-3, 175, G, Fr.-RS): Played in 10 games… Scored his first career FG at Tulsa… Added to the active roster on Dec. 2, 2016… Recorded 1 rebound in 2 minutes against McNeese (Dec. 14)… Made first appearance against Delaware State (Dec. 4)…Played against TCU (Dec. 7), Stanford (Dec. 19) and Albany (Dec. 20).
 
JIMMY WHITT (6-3, 175, G, So.): 2016-17: Will sit out due to NCAA transfer rules…2015-16 AT ARKANSAS: Averaged 6.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.6 steals…FG% 38.7, 3FG% 37.5…Free Throw % 79.2.
 
JONATHAN WILFONG (6-2, 185, G, Jr.): 2016-17: Played in 18 games… Scored 2 points with 1 rebound against East Carolina (Feb. 1)… Recorded a rebound at East Carolina (Dec. 31)… 1 rebounded against Memphis (Dec. 27)… Made 1 FG and had a steal against UCSB (Nov. 22)… 2015-16: Totaled 8 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal and 2 assists… AWARDS: 2017 Allstate NABC Good Works Team Nominee
 
SMU RISES IN US NEWS RANKINGS: SMU rose to its highest ranking among the nation's universities in the 2017 edition of U.S. News & World Report's Best Colleges. Among 220 institutions classified as national universities, SMU ranks 56, up from 61 a year ago. The new ranking again places SMU in the first tier of institutions in the guide's "best national universities" category. In Texas, only Rice University ranks higher. SMU and the University of Texas-Austin were tied.  Among private national universities, SMU ranks 39. SMU's increase was one of the five largest among the top 100 universities. Since 2008, SMU's 11-point increase is one of the four largest among schools in the top 60. For the rankings, U.S. News considers measures of academic quality, such as peer assessment scores and ratings by high school counselors, faculty resources, student selectivity, graduation rate performance, financial resources and alumni giving. SMU ranks 24 among all national universities in alumni giving at 25 percent. In other ranking categories, SMU ranks 32 as one of the best national universities for veterans.
 
SMU HITS $1B CAMPAIGN GOAL: The Second Century Campaign, the largest and most successful fundraising initiative in SMU's history, raised $1.15 billion for the enhancement of the University's student quality, faculty and academic excellence and the campus experience. The campaign's official completion date was Dec. 31, 2015. The Second Century Campaign was publicly launched in 2008 with a goal of $750 million. Rapid progress toward that goal and opportunities for further advancements led SMU leaders in 2013 to increase the goal to $1 billion and extend its timeline to 2015. Ending in 2002, SMU's previous major gifts campaign, "A Time to Lead: The Campaign for SMU", raised $542 million. Combining both campaigns, in the last two decades SMU has raised a total of $1.5 billion for 753 new scholarships, 111 new academic positions, 146 academic programs and 32 capital projects. SMU joins 35 private universities that have raised $1 billion or more through major gifts campaigns.
 
COACHING FOR LITERACY (CoachingForLiteracy.org): Jonathan Wilfong and Andrew Renshaw, two then-high school seniors from Memphis, Tennessee, founded Coaching for Literacy in 2012. The premise is that a participant offers a monetary donation and, in exchange, gets to be the "Assistant Coach" during a sporting event. Proceeds raised from the event go towards funding effective literacy programs focused on helping elementary and middle school students. Coaching for Literacy partners with collegiate and professional sports teams for a unique game-day experience. --- The mission of Coaching for Literacy is to increase awareness about the number of people in America who are functionally or totally illiterate and the social problems associated with illiteracy. By leveraging the unique power of collegiate and professional sports, Coaching for Literacy raises money to supports effective local literacy programs and schools focused on educating elementary and middle school students. SMU hosted two CFL events in each of the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons, and hosted the 2016-17 awareness night on Dec. 19 vs. Stanford. The SMU staff wore neon green ties during a three-game stretch as part of the awareness effort.
 

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